Gas-engine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. LJMAYHEW.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Oct. 19,1897.

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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

C. L. MAYHEW.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 591,862. Patented Oct. 19, 1897..

UNITED STATES PAT NT. OFFICE.

CHARLES LEWIS MAYHEVV, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK.

GAS-ENGlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,862, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed December 11, 1895. Serial No. 571,781. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LEWIS MAY- HEW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to explosive gas-engines and my invention consists in means for supplying the successive charges of explosive mixture, for regulating the inlet and discharge, for maintaining the parts at a low temperature, and for lubricating the valves and in certain details of construction, all fully 1 set forth hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side view of an engine with my improvements; Fig. 2, an enlarged vertical sectional view of cylinder; Fig. 3, an enlarged transverse section through one of the valve-seats; Fig. 4, an enlarged view of parts connected with the valves Fig. 5, an enlarged section showing the parts connected with the rear head of the cylinder.

The cylinder A is closed at both ends and contains the piston B, connected with the crank of the shaft 0. With the forward end of the cylinder communicates a pipe 7, provided with a check-valve 8, and which is sup.- plied with gas and air when gas is used, or which leads to a carburetor D, containing wick saturated with gasolene and to which air is'admitted through a pipe 9. From the forward end of the cylinder'a channel 10 extends toa chamber 20 in a casing F at the rear end, and in this channel is a check-valve 12. Between the chamber w and the rear end of the piston-chamber in the cylinder extends a port as, closed by a suitable valve G. This valve may be of any required construction, but preferably it is a plug-valve and is so supported that it cannot possibly become jammed in its seat or wedged by the expansion or contraction of the parts by heat. Thus the conical valve-seat, as shown in Fig. 3, is longer than the valve and one end of the valve bears against the end of a centering-screw13, which prevents the valve from being forced farther inward, and against the opposite end of the valve bears a screw-follower 14:, which has a central opening for the passage of the stem .15 of the valve. In the valve is a port '0, which may be brought to coincide with the port at or turned so as to close the latter.

Then the piston B moves backward, it draws in an explosive charge through the pipe 7 and on its forward movement it expels this charge through the channel 10 into the chamber w. After a few strokes the maximum pressure in the chamber 10 is attained and upon opening the valve G when the piston is at the limit of its backward stroke, as shown in Fig. 2, there is a space left between it and the cylinder-head and a compressed charge will pass into this space, which charge will contain a volume of gas and air equal to the uncompressed charge driven from the forward end of the cylinder at each forward stroke of the piston. After the charge has passed to the space at the rear of the piston, the valve G is turned to close the port X, the charge is ignited, and the piston moves forward. On the backward motion of the piston the exploded gases are discharged through the exhaust-port y, leading to the exhaust-pipe 16, and regulated by a suitable valve H. As shown, the valve H is aplug-valve similar to the valve G.

Any suitable means may be employed for operating the valves. A suitable simple arrangement which has proved to work regularly to secure a uniform result is illustrated in the drawings, in which the stem of the valve H is provided with an arm 17, to which is adjustably connected a rod 18, leading to the strap of an eccentric 19 on the shaft 0, the eccentric being so set as to swing backward the arm 17 to open the portg as the piston B reaches the forward end of the cylinder, the port being kept open until the piston reaches the limit of its backward movement and while the portx is open. There is therefore no back pressure on the reverse stroke of the engine. 7

The valve G derives its motion from the arm 17, which is extended or provided with a lug, so as to make contact with a lug 1-9, projecting from a disk 20 upon the end of the spindle 15 of the valve G. Spring-"s21 22 are so connected with an arm extending from the disk 20 as to tend to maintain the plug-valve G in a position to close the port 00, and the parts are so arranged that as the piston B reaches the limit of its backward movement, and as the valve H is being closed, the valve G will be opened to permit the charge to pass into the cylinder. As the arm 17 passes from contact with the lug 19 the springs 21 22 bring the valve G to a closed position, so that it is opened only for an instant of time in order that the charge may be admitted to the cylinder.

Any suitable igniter my be employed. As shown, there is an electrical igniter having two contacts 23 24:, the latter insulated and stationary and the former an arm upon a spindle 25, which extends through the cylinder and is provided with an arm 26, which is struck by a lug 27 on the disk 20 just as the valve G is turned to an extent to close the port at, so as to separate the contacts and explode the charge as soon as it is fully confined within the cylinder and while the piston B is substantially at the limit of its back stroke.

By drawing the air through a carbureter, as above described, and securing a rapid evaporation of the gasolene, the mixture of air and gas is received in the chamber 10 at a very low temperature, and consequently as this chamber is adjacent to the cylinder the latter is preserved at a low temperature, and I have found that there is no absolute necessity of making use of a water-jacket, the cylindernever becoming unduly heated. I have found, however, that the temperature of the cylinder may be preserved still lower by passing a small volume of water into the cylinder with the charge of air and gas. This may be directed in various ways into the chamber, but I have found the arrangement illustrated in the drawings to be effective. As shown, there is a trough 26 arranged in the chamber to in line with the port so at a little distance from the entrance of the latter, and to this trough 26 leads a pipe 27, extending to a water vessel 28 and provided with a cook 29. Another pipe 30 leads from the upper portion of the chamber to the top of the vessel 28, so that water may flow to the trough 26 as fast as regulated by the cook 29, and as a charge of gas and air passes rapidly through the ports; it will carry with it a portion of the water. \Vhen the explosion takes place, the evaporation of the water and its expansion under heat absorbs a portion of the heat and also adds to the propelling action against the piston.

Difficulty has been experienced in lubricating concealed valves, especially when turning in' the cylinder-heads where there are variations of temperature likely to cause evaporation of the oil. I have overcome this difficulty by providing for an automatic lubrication. Thus a trough 31 is arranged in the chamber 10 near the entrance to the port 00, and with this trough communicates the channel or tube 32, leading from the oil-pot 33 and provided with a cock 34. The oil-pot is closed out by the gases and in contact with the bottom valve. both valves may be kept fully lubricated.

I have found that by this means As there is a liability in some cases of freezing the contents of the carbureter, I prevent this by conducting the exhaust pipe 16 through or in close proximity to the carbureter, thereby preventing freezing, rendering the contents more volatile, and reducing the heat of the exhaust-gases.

WVithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention 4 1. The combination with a cylinder, piston, inlet and exhaust ports, of plug-valves G, H, an eccentric and connections for rocking the valve H, an arm extending from said valve, a lug upon the valve G arranged to make contact with said arm and springs connected with the valve G to hold it normally in one position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the fixed and movable contacts of an electrical igniter and with the rocking valve G, of a shaft carrying the movable contacts and an arm upon said shaft adapted to make contact with a lug extending fromthe valve, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gas-engine, the combination with the cylinder and its piston, of a compressionchamber at the rear of the cylinder, means for supplying said chamber with compressed air and gas, an inlet-port connecting the cylinder and compression-chamber, and a valve controlling said port, means for positively operating said valve, and means for supplying water to a point adjacent to the inlet-port, substantially as described.

4. In a gas-engine, the combination with a cylinder and its piston, of a chamber at the rear of the cylinder communicating therewith through an inlet-port, a valve controlling said port, means for supplying the chamber with compressed air and gas, open-topped oil and water receptacles within the chamber adja cent the inlet-port, and means for supplying said receptacles with oil and water respectively, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the inlet-port of a gas-engine, of an oil-reservoir, an open-topped trough adjacent to the inlet-port, and means for leading the oil to the said trough, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES LEWIS MAYHEW.

WVitnesses:

G. P. KRAMER, A. E. HANSMANN. 

